Author: claimsbot

We claim as our invention:

1. A postage meter machine for franking postal items, comprising:
a control unit for controlling at least one component for printing a postage imprint on an item, said control unit having access to at least one item of security information selected from the group consisting of security functions and security data for use in controlling at least one component;
a storage medium having an encrypted access code stored thereon;
a reader unit which interacts with said storage medium to read said encrypted access code therefrom;
an input unit for entering an unencrypted security code; and
a security module in communication with said control unit, said reader unit and said input unit, said security module having an encryption algorithm stored therein for encrypting said unencrypted security code to produce an encrypted security code, and a comparison unit for comparing said encrypted security code to said encrypted access code, said security module allowing access by said control unit to said security information only if said encrypted security code agrees with said encrypted access code in said comparison unit.
2. A postage meter machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said security module forms said encrypted security code from a user identification and a user password entered through said input unit.
3. A postage meter machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said security module employs said user password as a key in said encryption algorithm for encrypting said user identification to form said encrypted security code.
4. A postage meter machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said security module employs a standard encryption algorithm as said encryption algorithm.
5. A postage meter machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control unit operates in combination with said storage medium for performing procedures selected from the group consisting of reading said security information, writing said security information, deleting said security information and modifying said security information, and wherein a storage medium having said encrypted access code is required in said reader for allowing said control unit to perform said procedures.
6. A method for protecting security information in a postage meter machine against unauthorized access comprising the steps of:
controlling at least a printer with a control unit, for printing a postage imprint, and making use of security information in said control unit for controlling at least said printer;
entering an unencrypted security code into said postage meter machine;
storing an encrypted access code on a storage medium separable from said postage meter machine;
interacting said storage medium with a reader unit to read said encrypted access code therefrom into said postage meter machine;
encrypting said unencrypted security code to form an encrypted security code in a security module;
supplying said encrypted access code from said reader unit to said security module and, in said security module, comparing said encrypted security code with said encrypted access code; and
allowing said control unit access to said security information only if said security module determines that said encrypted access code agrees with said encrypted security code.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6 comprising entering a user identification and a user password into said postage meter machine and, in said security module, producing said encrypted security code by operating on said user identification with an encryption algorithm using said user password as an encryption key.
8. A method as claimed in claim 7 comprising using a standard encryption algorithm as said encryption algorithm.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A composite material comprising at least about 50 volume percent boride or carbide, the composite material comprising a ceramic portion having alumina and an aluminum alloy made by:
a. contacting a silica-bonded boride- or carbide-based preform with a molten aluminum alloy comprising between about 18 weight percent and about 95 weight percent silicon;
b. allowing reaction between the aluminum and the silica in the preform to go substantially to completion; and
c. removing the composite material from contact with the molten metal.
2. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the material is substantially non-reactive with aluminum.
3. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the ceramic portion comprises silicon carbide, boron carbide, or titanium diboride, or mixtures thereof.
4. The composite material of claim 3, wherein the ceramic portion comprises particulate silicon carbide having an average diameter of between about 5 micrometers and about 5000 micrometers.
5. The composite material of claim 1, comprising at least 50 volume percent carbide particles.
6. The composite material of claim 5, comprising at least 60 volume percent carbide particles.
7. The composite material of claim 1, comprising between about 50 and 90 volume percent carbide, between about 32 and 7 volume percent aluminum oxide, and between about 18 and 3 volume percent aluminum.
8. The composite material of claim 1, comprising an essentially continuous ceramic portion.
9. The composite material of claim 1, comprising less than about five weight percent silica.
10. The composite material of claim 9, comprising less than about one weight percent silica.
11. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the density of the preform is at least about 75 volume percent.
12. The composite material of claim 11, wherein the density of the preform is at least about 85 volume percent.
13. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the composite material is made from a preform that is sufficiently free of interstitial cavities to promote formation of composite material without travel of reactants through interstitial cavities.
14. The composite material of claim 1, wherein the composite material is made from a preform that is substantially totally immersed in molten aluminum alloy.
15. An article comprising the composite material of claim 1.
16. The article of claim 15, wherein the article is capable of contact with molten aluminum without significant reaction with the aluminum.
17. The article of claim 16, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of riser tubes, diesmolds, heater immersion tubes, thermocouple protection tubes, ladles, and stirring devices.
18. The article of claim 15, wherein the article has one or more surfaces to be exposed to friction or wear.
19. The article of claim 18, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of bearings, nozzles, bushings, valve components, liners, brake components, clutches, engine components, and turbine components.
20. The article of claim 15, wherein the article is an electrical conductor.
21. The article of claim 20, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of electric motor brushes, high temperaturehostile environment sensors, high temperaturehostile environment probes, electrodes, and current collectors.
22. The article of claim 15, wherein the article is a thermal management device.
23. The article of claim 22, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of heat spreaders, heat sinks, thermal diffusers, and substrates.
24. The article of claim 15, wherein the article absorbs and dissipates kinetic energy from high velocity projectiles.
25. The article of claim 15, wherein the article is in substantially the same shape and size as the preform.
26. The article of claim 15, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of riser tubes, molds, heater immersion tubes, thermocouple protection tubes, bearings, nozzles, bushings, valve components, liners, electric motor brushes, high temperaturehostile environment sensors, high temperaturehostile environment probes, electrodes, current collectors, and armor.
27. A ceramicmetal composite material comprising a ceramic portion comprising silicon carbide and boron carbide, and an alumina-aluminum binding phase, wherein the composite material has been substantially fully reacted with aluminum, and wherein the ceramic portion is formed from a preform comprising about 50 volume percent silicon carbide, about 15 volume percent boron carbide, and about 35 volume percent silica.

1. A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprising:
a memory cell array in which electrically rewritable memory cells are arranged; and
a plurality of sense amplifier circuits configured to read data from said memory cell array,
wherein each said sense amplifier circuit comprises a first circuit temporarily holding data of a first memory cell selected by address data input from outside, and a second circuit temporarily holding data of a second memory cell which is adjacent to said first memory cell, in which a writing operation is conducted after a writing operation to said first memory cell, and in which a reading operation is conducted before a reading operation to said first memory cell.
2. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein said data held in said second circuit is data showing whether threshold value of said second memory cell has been changed after a writing operation to said first memory cell.
3. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 2, wherein said data in said first memory cell is read under plural read conditions determined by data held in said second circuit.
4. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 3, wherein said plural read conditions are different in voltage to a word line of said first memory cell.
5. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 3, wherein said plural read conditions are different in bit-line discharge time during a read operation in said first memory cell.
6. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein data held in said second circuit is read from said second memory cell after address data of said first memory cells is input from outside to read data in said first memory cells, and before reading data in said first memory cell for storage in said first circuit.
7. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 3, wherein when address data of said first memory cells is input from outside to read data in said first memory cell, and there is no memory cell which is adjacent to said first memory cell and in which a writing operation is conducted after a writing operation to said first memory cell, data in said first memory cell is read under a certain read condition.
8. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein each of said memory cells is capable of discriminating and storing data of 2 bits or more.
9. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein
said memory cell array comprises a plurality of NAND cell units arranged therein, each NAND cell unit having a serial circuit of a plurality of memory cells, a first select gate transistor disposed between one end of said serial circuit and a bit line, and a second select gate transistor disposed between the other end of said serial circuit and a common source line, each said memory cell having a floating gate and a control gate stacked thereabove.
10. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 9, wherein
the control gates of said memory cells in each said NAND cell unit are connected to different word lines, respectively, and wherein
the gates of said first and second select gate transistors in each said NAND cell unit are connected to select gate lines, respectively.
11. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 10, wherein
a plurality of memory cells arranged along a word line and connected to different bit lines, respectively, constitute a page which serves as a unit for parallel data read and parallel dada write, and wherein
said plurality of sense amplifier circuits constitute a page buffer for sensing data of one page.
12. A memory system comprising:
a non-volatile semiconductor memory device,
a cache memory for temporarily storing data input to and output from said non-volatile semiconductor memory device; and
a controller for controlling dada transfer between said cache memory and said non-volatile semiconductor memory device in such a manner that a data write operation of said non-volatile semiconductor memory device is performed for a write region directed from external in order from the uppermost address of said write region,
wherein said nonvolatile memory device comprises:
a memory cell array in which electrically rewritable floating gate type memory cells are arranged; and
a plurality of sense amplifier circuits configured to read data from said memory cell array, wherein
each of said sense amplifier circuits is configured to sense cell data of a first memory cell selected from said memory cell array under a read condition determined in correspondence with cell data of a second memory cell adjacent to said first memory cell and written after said first memory cell,
and wherein each said sense amplifier circuit comprises a first circuit for holding a read data of said first memory cell and a second circuit for holding a data read out from said second memory cell prior to data read of said first memory cell as a reference data.
13. The memory system according to claim 12, wherein
said non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprises a plurality of cell blocks each serving as a unit for a data erase in a lump, and wherein
said cache memory has a data storing area with a capacity larger than that of each said cell block, and wherein
said controller controls to store data, which is to be written into a cell block of said non-volatile semiconductor memory device, in said cache memory, and then transfer the stored data to said non-volatile semiconductor memory device, thereby starting a data write operation.
14. An electric card equipped with a non-volatile semiconductor memory device, wherein said nonvolatile memory device comprising:
a memory cell array in which electrically rewritable floating gate type memory cells are arranged; and
a plurality of sense amplifier circuits configured to read data from said memory cell array, wherein
each of said sense amplifier circuits is configured to sense cell data of a first memory cell selected from said memory cell array under a read condition determined in correspondence with cell data of a second memory cell adjacent to said first memory cell and written after said first memory cell,
and wherein each said sense amplifier circuit comprises a first circuit for holding a read data of said first memory cell and a second circuit for holding a data read out from said second memory cell prior to data read of said first memory cell as a reference data.
15. An electric card equipped with a memory system, comprising:
a non-volatile semiconductor memory device,
a cache memory for temporarily storing data input to and output from said non-volatile semiconductor memory device; and
a controller for controlling dada transfer between said cache memory and said non-volatile semiconductor memory device in such a manner that a data write operation of said non-volatile semiconductor memory device is performed for a write region directed from external in order from the uppermost address of said write region,
wherein said nonvolatile memory device comprises:
a memory cell array in which electrically rewritable floating gate type memory cells are arranged; and
a plurality of sense amplifier circuits configured to read data from said memory cell array, wherein
each of said sense amplifier circuits is configured to sense cell data of a first memory cell selected from said memory cell array under a read condition determined in correspondence with cell data of a second memory cell adjacent to said first memory cell and written after said first memory cell,
wherein each said sense amplifier circuit comprises a first circuit for holding a read data of said first memory cell and a second circuit for holding a data read out from said second memory cell prior to data read of said first memory cell as a reference data,
wherein said non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprises a plurality of cell blocks each serving as a unit for a data erase in a lump, and wherein
said cache memory has a data storing area with a capacity larger than that of each said cell block, and wherein
said controller controls to store data, which is to be written into a cell block of said non-volatile semiconductor memory device, in said cache memory, and then transfer the stored data to said non-volatile semiconductor memory device, thereby starting a data write operation.
16. An electric device comprising:
a card interface;
a card slot connected to said card interface; and
an electric card electrically connectable to said card slot, wherein said electronic card is equipped with a non-volatile semiconductor memory device, wherein said nonvolatile memory device comprises:
a memory cell array in which electrically rewritable floating gate type memory cells are arranged; and
a plurality of sense amplifier circuits configured to read data from said memory cell array, wherein
each of said sense amplifier circuits is configured to sense cell data of a first memory cell selected from said memory cell array under a read condition determined in correspondence with cell data of a second memory cell adjacent to said first memory cell and written after said first memory cell,
and wherein each said sense amplifier circuit comprises a first circuit for holding a read data of said first memory cell and a second circuit for holding a data read out from said second memory cell prior to data read of said first memory cell as a reference data.
17. An electric device comprising:
a card interface;
a card slot connected to said card interface; and
an electric card electrically connectable to said card slot, wherein said electric card is equipped with a memory system, comprising:
a non-volatile semiconductor memory device,
a cache memory for temporarily storing data input to and output from said non-volatile semiconductor memory device; and
a controller for controlling dada transfer between said cache memory and said non-volatile semiconductor memory device in such a manner that a data write operation of said non-volatile semiconductor memory device is performed for a write region directed from external in order from the uppermost address of said write region,
wherein said nonvolatile memory device comprising:
a memory cell array in which electrically rewritable floating gate type memory cells are arranged; and
a plurality of sense amplifier circuits configured to read data from said memory cell array, wherein
each of said sense amplifier circuits is configured to sense cell data of a first memory cell selected from said memory cell array under a read condition determined in correspondence with cell data of a second memory cell adjacent to said first memory cell and written after said first memory cell,
and wherein each said sense amplifier circuit comprises a first circuit for holding a read data of said first memory cell and a second circuit for holding a data read out from said second memory cell prior to data read of said first memory cell as a reference data.
18. The electric device according to claim 16, wherein said electric device is a digital still camera.
19. The electric device according to claim 17, wherein said electric device is a digital still camera.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method comprising:
receiving a request to update displayed information;
progressively displaying a plurality of information groups; and
terminating display of the plurality of information groups if a second request to update the displayed information is received.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein terminating display of the plurality of information groups includes clearing the displayed information.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of information groups are prioritized, and wherein the highest priority information groups are displayed prior to lower priority information groups.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of information groups are prioritized based on their level of importance to the viewer.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of information groups are prioritized based on their proximity to a selected item in the display.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of information groups are prioritized based on a direction in which the viewer is navigating through the display.
7. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 1.
8. A method comprising:
displaying a first group of information;
determining whether a request to change the displayed information is received;
updating the first group of information if a request to change the displayed information is received; and
displaying a second group of information if a request to change the displayed information is not received.
9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the first group of information has an associated first priority and the second group of information has an associated second priority, wherein the first priority is greater than the second priority.
10. A method as recited in claim 8 further comprising displaying a third group of information if no additional requests to change the displayed information are received.
11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the third group of information has a priority that is lower than the first group of information and lower than the second group of information.
12. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the first group of information and the second group of information are prioritized based on their level of importance to the viewer.
13. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the first group of information and the second group of information are prioritized based on their proximity to a particular item in the display.
14. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 8.
15. A method comprising:
receiving a first request to scroll through a program guide;
displaying a first region of the program guide;
determining whether a second request to scroll through the program guide is received;
updating and redisplaying the first region of the program guide if a second request to scroll through the program guide is received; and
displaying a second region of the program guide if a second request to scroll through the program guide is not received.
16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the program guide is an electronic program guide.
17. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising displaying a third region of the program guide if no additional requests to scroll through the program guide are received.
18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the third region of the program guide includes a program description associated with a currently selected channel.
19. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:
displaying a third region of the program guide if no additional requests to scroll through the program guide are received; and
displaying a fourth region of the program guide if no additional requests to scroll through the program guide are received.
20. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the first region of the program guide includes a currently selected channel and a program associated with the currently selected channel.
21. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the second region of the program guide includes currently selected time periods being displayed in the program guide.
22. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 15.
23. A method comprising:
receiving a first request to update a program guide;
progressively displaying a plurality of program guide regions; and
terminating display of the plurality of program guide regions if a second request to update the program guide is received.
24. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein terminating display of the plurality of program guide regions includes updating and redisplaying the plurality of program guide regions.
25. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein terminating display of the plurality of program guide regions includes updating the program guide based on the second request to update the program guide.
26. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein the first request to update a program guide is a request to display a different time period.
27. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein the first request to update a program guide is a request to display programs on a different set of channels.
28. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein the program guide is an electronic program guide.
29. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 23.
30. method comprising:
receiving a first request to update a program guide;
displaying high priority program guide regions;
terminating display of the program guide after displaying the high priority program guide regions if a second request to update the program guide is received; and
displaying low priority program guide regions if a second request to update the program guide is not received.
31. A method as recited in claim 30 wherein terminating display of the program guide includes updating the program guide based on the second request to update the program guide.
32. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform the method of claim 30.
33. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a client device to:
receive a first request to update a program guide;
progressively display a plurality of program guide regions; and
terminate display of the plurality of program guide regions if a second request to update the program guide is received.
34. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 33 further comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct the client device to update the program guide if a second request to update the program guide is received, wherein the program guide is updated based on the second request.
35. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 33 wherein the program guide is an electronic program guide.
36. A computer system comprising:
a memory;
a processor coupled to the memory; and
a program guide application stored in the memory and executed on the processor, the program guide application configured to progressively display a plurality of program guide regions and to terminate display of the plurality of program guide regions if a request to update the program guide is received by the computer system.
37. A computer system as recited in claim 36 wherein the plurality of program regions are displayed from highest priority to lowest priority.
38. A computer system as recited in claim 36 further comprising a user input device configured to generate requests to update the program guide.
39. A computer system as recited in claim 36 further comprising a wireless interface configured to receive requests to update the program guide.
40. A computer system as recited in claim 36 further comprising a display device configured to display the program guide.
41. A computer system as recited in claim 36 wherein the program guide application is further configured to receive program guide information via a broadcast network coupled to the computer system.
42. An apparatus comprising:
receiving means for receiving requests to update a program guide, wherein the program guide includes a plurality of program guide regions;
update means for updating information displayed in a program guide; and
generation means for generating signals to display the plurality of program guide regions, wherein the generation means progressively generates signals to display the plurality of program guide regions and terminates generation of the signals to display the plurality of program guide regions if a request to update the program guide is received.
43. An apparatus as recited in claim 42 wherein the generation means is further configured to update the program guide based on the request to update the program guide.